Abstract
The paper analyzes the "secular humanism" of Edward Said, who tries to go beyond provincialism and hierarchical oppositions that characterize the traditional humanism. Reflecting aspects of post-colonialists approaches, Said questions notions of fixed or exclusionary identities and emphasizes the minorities and the fluidity of identities opposed to hegemonic representations. Taking into account cognitive vantages of a new humanism, Said makes references to the condition of exile that would be exemplary to express the ability to create new types of social connections and insights. The article points out virtues and limits of the cosmopolitan knowledge proposed by Said and it highlights some impasses of his theory in relation to aspects of the humanist tradition.
Keywords
Edward Said; Secular humanism; Post-colonialism; Cosmopolitanism; Nation